Mona Shores: Nick Hendricks hopes to be in the middle of Sailors' football turnaround

Chronicle photo â¢ Ken StevensNick Hendricks returns as a force at middle linebacker and fullback for the Mona Shores football team. Hendricks, his sophomore brother, Chris, and standout receiver Aaron Doriot are the lone returning starters for the Sailors.

If Mona Shores has success on the football field this fall, Nick Hendricks will be in the middle of it.

Hendricks is a force at middle linebacker and
his ability to bull through the middle from his fullback spot is crucial
to the Sailors' new veer offense.

"Nick is big and strong, obviously, but he's
also extremely athletic," said first-year Shores coach Matt Koziak,
noting Hendricks' best time of 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

"He's in the middle on both sides of the ball."

Hendricks helped hold things together at Shores
in the interim between Ken Rose resigning and Koziak taking over the
program in mid-March.

It was Hendricks - along with his father, Bruce,
and sophomore brother and standout two-way lineman Chris - that kept
the Sailors focused and committed to the weightroom.

"We had to keep working or we would have fallen
further behind," said Hendricks, who tries to lead by example, first and
foremost. "I don't like to be obnoxious and get in people's faces all
the time. There's been too much talking around here for a long time.

"It's not about talking. It's about doing the work and then showing it in the games."

On paper, Shores looks to be in a tough position this fall.

Not only is the team learning a completely new
offense under Koziak, but it's doing it with only seven seniors on the
varsity roster.

The Sailors are a junior-dominated team with a
freshman quarterback in Tyree Jackson (5-9, 152 pounds), a youngster
with a powerful arm which he displayed by winning several state Punt,
Pass & Kick competitions in recent years.

Jackson's primary target through the air will be
senior wideout Aaron Doriot, who led the area in Divisions 1-4 last
season with 45 receptions for 739 yards and four touchdowns.

The other threats out of the slot and receiver
positions are Elishua Pinegar, Ossie Gordon, Jared Karnitz and Carter
Simpkins, a 6-4, 200-pound junior.

But the first option in the veer is a simple
straight-ahead handoff on a dive or trap to the fullback, Hendricks. His
ability to gain yardage up the middle and force the defense to adjust
in a step or two will make all the difference in creating running room
for the rest of the offense.

"It's a potentially explosive offense, but
everyone has to do their job so that the defense can't stop everything,"
Hendricks said.

One of the leaders up front is Hendricks'
younger brother, Chris, (little brother is not the correct term). At
6-3, 270 pounds, Chris Hendricks is a two-way tackle who is being
counted on to dominate his spot after getting several varsity starts
last fall.

But while much of the talk around Shores this August has been the new
offense, the area in most dire need of improvement is defense. Shores
allowed at least 19 points in all nine games last season and gave up 37
points or more in five of those games.

"We have to shut people down," said Hendricks, who deadlifts 660 pounds, squats 550 and bench-presses 350.

Hendricks was the leading tackler a year ago with 107 total tackles.
He will be in the middle of the 4-3 look, with outside backers Darnell
Longmire and Jarred Felt.

Hendricks, who will also wrestle and run track later this school
year, has put a major emphasis on getting faster. While he lists Green
Bay Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews as his favorite athlete,
world-record holding sprinter Usain Bolt comes in a close second.

"You have to be able to move," Hendricks said. "You have to get to
the hole as a running back and you have to get to the ball on defense.
Speed is a big part of our new offense here. You need speed to be
explosive."

Koziak knows the going could be tough early on with Nick Hendricks
and Doriot the only returning starters from a year ago, along with Chris
Hendricks who started a few games. But the new coach can't fault the
work ethic of his 28 varsity players.

"All the kids have been getting after it and displaying the right
kind of attitude," Koziak said. "That's the first step. We need to do
the best job we can coaching them and they need to be focused on getting
better every day. We have some great kids here."

Email: tkendra@muskegonchronicle.com

Team player

• Who: Nick Hendricks

• Size: 6-0, 220-pound senior

• Position: Fullback, middle linebacker

• Favorite athlete: Clay Matthews

• Favorite class: Geometry

• Favorite TV show: Suits

• Favorite food: Italian

• Favorite musician: Mac Miller

• Hobbies: Playing guitar, hanging out with friends

• Future plans: Play college football, major in law enforcement and work for the FBI.